Local Chevy dealers put out Cruze-focused commercial
By Kalea Hall
LORDSTOWN
A new Chevrolet Cruze commercial tells the story of the locally built car – from its beginning at the West Plant to when it comes out of the door at the East Plant.
The Chevy All Stars, a group of 17 car dealers in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, developed the commercial to remind residents of the GM Lordstown Complex’s importance to the area and highlight the product that comes out of it, the award-winning Cruze.
“The idea of supporting the area is very important to me,” said Tom Brittain of Brittain Motors in East Palestine and vice president of the Chevy All Stars. “We are doing all the national advertisements on all the models, but the Cruze has a specific star beside it because it is built here in our Valley and it supports the economic base for everybody.”
The commercial first aired at the end of April and will continue to air for the next few months on local and cable stations.
“Chevy Cruze is built with pride right here in the Mahoning Valley, carrying on a 50-year legacy putting thousands to work with continued support of our amazing community,” the commercial says.
Chevrolet is the most-awarded and the No. 1 selling brand in Northeast Ohio, the commercial also notes.
The Cruze itself has some hefty bragging rights as a Consumer Reports “Top Pick” for a compact car – a title that a domestic car hasn’t taken in more than a decade.
“That car is a great car,” Brittain said. “It has always been a good seller. Ever since it came out. The workers at the plant and the engineers have all developed a car that is very economical and very well priced and very dependable with a great resale value. We want all of our local people to realize that.”
The Cruze was launched at the Lordstown plant in 2010. The second-generation Cruze production launched in 2016. Since then, consumers have continued to shift away from compact cars, which has led to more than 800 layoffs so far at the GM plant. More layoffs are expected to come this summer when the assembly line is slowed to adjust the Cruze supply with demand.
The commercial “is going to show our members that the dealerships are supporting us,” said Robert Morales, president of United Auto Workers Local 1714, which represents the fabrication workers in the West Plant. “Through the tough times, they are supporting us.”
Both Morales and Glenn Johnson, UAW Local 1112 president, who represents the assembly workers in the East Plant, are thankful to have a supportive relationship with the local Chevrolet dealers.
“I think it speaks volumes to the commitment they have,” Johnson said of the commercial. “It’s a great reflection of the hard work our members do every day.”
Thomas Mock, GM spokesman for the Lordstown plant, said the relationship with the Chevy All Stars really strengthened when the Cruze first launched.
“It continues to be beneficial,” Mock said. “Chevrolet has been great for the Mahoning Valley, and the Mahoning Valley has been great for Chevrolet.”